Opa! 10 Years Later, Snakkle Catches Up with the Cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding

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Nia Vardalos as Toula Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Vardalos was appearing in bit parts on shows such as The Drew Carey Show (1997) and Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (1999) in Hollywood before she hit the jackpot with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing. Starring as the lovelorn Toula, Vardalos’ relatable looks and razor-sharp writing captured the hearts of audiences, ultimately propelling the film to superstardom. The movie was based on a one-woman show performed by Vardalos.

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Nia Vardalos—Today

Vardalos has kept busy since her success with My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She appeared in the TV series based on the film, on the series Drop Dead Diva (2009) and Cougar Town (2011), and in films such as Connie and Carla (2004) and Larry Crowne (2011). Vardalos admits that it’s the Portokalos family who made her super hit so successful. As Vardalos shares, “People say all the time, ‘I wish I was part of that family.’ I am so lucky. I have the greatest family in the world. I’m really lucky.” As her audience, we feel lucky to have known her family as well.

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Michael Constantine as Kostas “Gus” Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Veteran actor of stage and screen Michael Constantine has a career that dates back to the 1940s, when he first appeared on TV in The Big Story. He also performed on Broadway and studied under Howard DaSilva. Constantine appeared on more iconic TV shows than one can count, including The Defenders (1961), The Untouchables (1961-1963), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1966), and Lou Grant (1981-1982), among others. To recent audiences, he is beloved as the Windex-loving Greek patriarch of the Portokalos family.

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Michael Constantine—Today

Constantine pulled from his own Greek heritage to portray proud Greek Gus Portokalos, who gave the world a new understanding of the “Greek origin” of the English language, as well as the benefits of Windex. He reprised his role as Gus for My Big Fat Greek Life in 2003. Since then, the 84-year-old actor has appeared on Cold Case (2007) and The Crossroads with Martin Anthony (2009).

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Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Mandylor was born to play the Portokalos brother Nick. Or he was just born Greek as Louis Theodosopoulos, the son of Greek immigrants. He’s also an accomplished athlete who played professional soccer in Australia as a teenager and is considered an expert in Thai kickboxing. The actor, who has enjoyed a prolific career in both film and TV, nailed it as the handsome son of the Portokalos clan.

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Louis Mandylor—Today

Mandylor’s already-busy career went into overdrive after My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He reprised his role as Nick in My Big Fat Greek Life in 2003. He then went on to appear in a series of films, including The Drum Beats Twice (2008) and Wrong Turn at Tahoe (2009). He also appeared on CSI: NY in 2009 and NCIS: Los Angeles in 2010. He has a number of films slated for 2012 and 2013, including 2012’s One in the Chamber.

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Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Tony award-winning veteran actress Lainie Kazan may be of Spanish and Russian-Jewish heritage, but you would think she was all Greek from her portrayal of the kind matriarch of the Portokalos family. Kazan debuted on Broadway in 1961 in The Happiest Girl in the World and served as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in the original Broadway production of Funny Girl. She even posed nude for Playboy in 1970. She delivers perhaps the funniest line in My Big Fat Greek Wedding—after husband Gus insinuates men are smarter than women, she retorts, “I run the restaurant, I cook, I clean, I wash for you, and I raise three kids, and I teach Sunday school, you know? It's lucky for me I have you to tie my shoes!”

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Lainie Kazan—Today

Lainie Kazan continued her success streak after My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She reprised her role Maria in the TV follow-up, My Big Fat Greek Life. She’s gone on to appear in shows such as The King of Queens (2007), Ugly Betty (2010), and Desperate Housewives (2010). She will next appear in the film Divorce Invitation (2012).

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John Corbett as Ian Miller in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

“Eho tria orchidea!” announces John Corbett proudly as Ian Miller in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Of course, Ian has been tricked into yelling out to Toula’s family that he has three testicles. But with Corbett’s handsome-guy delivery and aw-shucks attitude, he still manages to charm the pants off us all. Nia Vardalos reveals that Corbett was always her first choice to play all-American Ian. As she shares, “The guys that were coming in to read for this part were all-American in that they were like football player types. I didn't want 'frat guy.' These guys that were coming in didn't have the intelligence that John had. There was just nothing there.”

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John Corbett—Today

Corbett’s career continued to soar after My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He reprised an earlier role on Sex and the City in 2003 and later in the film sequel, Sex and the City 2 (2010). He’s appeared on television in roles on Lucky (2003), The United States of Tara (2009-2011), and most recently Parenthood (2012). He has also hit the big screen in Raising Helen (2004) and Ramona and Beezus (2010). He will next be seen in the 2013 film Kiss Me.

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Joey Fatone as Cousin Angelo in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Take a back seat, Justin Timberlake—Joey Fatone was the first ’N Sync-er to score a major movie hit and, thanks to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, certainly has the highest single film gross. Fatone, once a crooner in the boy band, played Cousin Angelo, the mischievous foil to straitlaced Ian. Fatone was practical when considering his film career. In 2002, he revealed, “I’d like to do more movies, meatier roles, but obviously right now that's not what I'm about—’N Sync comes first.”

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Joey Fatone—Today

So did Fatone continue to put his music before his film career? He has certainly stayed in the spotlight. Among other gigs, he appeared on Hannah Montana in 2007, the same year he performed on Dancing with the Stars. He has also ventured into voice-over work, doing several episodes of Robot Chicken. Fatone will next be seen in the TV movie Jersey Shore Shark Attack.

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Fiona Reid as Harriet Miller in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

O Canada! Fiona Reid, who played Ian Miller’s mother in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, hails from the Land of the Maple and is darned proud of her heritage. “Everything about my emotional makeup is Canadian,” the stage and screen actress told Toronto.com in 2011. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was shot on location in Toronto and Chicago, giving the Canuck a hometown edge in her portrayal of Toula’s repressed but accepting mother-in-law.

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Fiona Reid—Today

After the success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Reid went on to make several appearances on TV shows such as Kevin Hill (2004) and Stoked (2009). She also appeared in 2009’s The Time Traveler’s Wife. Most recently she starred in the Canadian show Single White Spenny and has appeared onstage in the musical comedy Calendar Girls in Toronto.

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Bruce Gray as Rodney Miller in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Canadian Bruce Gray has worked prolifically on both American and Canadian TV and film. In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, he played Ian Miller’s emotionally repressed yet typically WASPy father. Also, he gave us a new understanding of just how drunk a middle-aged patriarch can get off of multiple shots of ouzo within minutes.

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Bruce Gray—Today

Mr. Patriarch has continued to work extensively in the years since My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He has appeared on shows such as ER (1995-2004), The West Wing (2004), Big Love (2007), Medium (2005-2010), and How I Met Your Mother (2011), to name a few. He most recently appeared on Castle (2012). Gray has also made a mark on science fiction, starring in such productions as Falling Skies (2011), Stargate SG-1 (2005), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2005).

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Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Andrea Martin was already a longtime veteran of stage and screen when she appeared as Toula’s affectionate but seriously TMI-afflicted aunt. Case in point: She reveals to Ian’s parents minutes after meeting them that she just had a lump removed from her neck which contained the remains of her fetal twin. Martin was an original member of Canada’s Second City Television, or SCTV, along with comedic greats John Candy, Harold Ramis, and Catherine O’Hara.

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Andrea Martin—Today

The Armenian-American actress has kept busy since her turn on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She has gone on to make several appearances on sitcoms, including the follow-up TV series My Big Fat Greek Life (2003), Kitchen Confidential (2006), and Nurse Jackie (2009). She is next slated to appear in the TV movie I, Martin Short, Go Home. (The actress is Short’s sister-in-law through her former marriage.)